Committee to make recommendation to city commission

Shawnee will likely see a new pool in 2014, according to Pool Advisory Committee officials.

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By Carmen Bourlon

The Shawnee News-Star

By Carmen Bourlon

Posted Nov. 27, 2012 at 9:00 PM

By Carmen Bourlon
Posted Nov. 27, 2012 at 9:00 PM

SHAWNEE

Shawnee will likely see a new pool in 2014, according to Pool Advisory Committee officials.

Director of Operations James Bryce said the committee has begun negotiating with a selected architect, but declined to say which architect.

Bryce added that he expects the committee to have a recommendation before the Shawnee City Commission before the end of the year.

Initially, more than 10 companies contacted the committee about the pool renovation. The committee interviewed four architects, and has since narrowed it down to one company, Chairman John Ayers said.

Ayers said the committee is waiting on word from city officials as to what the next move should be.

He added that, while he expects the recommendation to the city commission to come before the end of the year, it could be sooner.

“We’re kind of ahead of schedule,” Ayers said.

The renovation is budgeted for $3 million. This is to include renovation of the pool, which could include replacing the shell if the architect deems it necessary, renovation of the pool house, and a splash park, as well as additional parking and improved lighting for the park area.

The location of the splash park will be decided at a later date, Ayers said.

Ayers said he doesn’t know if the pool will need an entirely new shell or not.

“We won’t know until the architect goes in,” he said. “It’s just a question of how much of the existing shell we can use, and we don’t know yet.”

The committee has received some community feedback about the pool house, Ayers said.

“We’ve had interest in the community to keep it just for the historical aspect,” he said.

Construction is anticipated to begin in early spring 2013. The pool will likely remain closed during 2013, during construction.